Seven persons nabbed in separate Iloilo drug stings

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By Jennifer P. Rendon

Seven persons were netted in three separate anti-illegal drug operations in Iloilo province.

The drug stings were carried out in the towns of Leon, Banate, and Leganes.

The Leon operation was conducted at 10:25 a.m. on Jan 27, 2023 at Sitio Lanag,  Barangay Isian Norte.

It led to the arrest of Bryan Calanuga, 38; Richard Cabarles, 38; and Jefferson Calumay, 43, all residents of the said place.

Calanuga was convicted for an anti-illegal drug offense and subjected to a raid in July 2022.

Members of the Leon Municipal Police Station, the  Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, the IPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit, and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RFMB-6) implemented Search Warrant  No 2023-002 against the suspects.

Judge Victorino Maniba of the Regional Trial Court Branch 39 in Iloilo City issued the search warrant against the trio on Jan. 26, 2023.

Captain Melchor Tolentino, Leon police chief, said Calanuga owned the house that was the subject of the raid. It also happened that Cabarles and Calumay also stayed at his place.

Recovered during the operation were 17 sachets of suspected shabu, dried marijuana leaves, a revolver with five ammunitions, a homemade shotgun loaded with 10 ammunitions, various drug paraphernalia, P5,161 cash, and a mobile phone.

The suspects will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

Meanwhile, the Banate anti-illegal drug operation was conducted at 7 p.m. on Jan 28 at Barangay Talokgangan.

Arrested were Christine Soropia, 33, also of Talokgangan village; Jayronn Cameseria, 26, of Barangay Paho, Zarraga, Iloilo; and June Oliver Simera, 31, of Barangay Housing, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Soropia and Cameseria are both jobless while Simera is a construction worker.

Members of Banate Municipal Police Station and the 2nd IPMFC arrested the trio for allegedly conniving to sell a sachet of suspected shabu for P1,100.

Recovered from their possession were P1,792 cash, nine sachets of suspected shabu, and other non-drug items.

After their arrest, police collared Jonathan Alicante, 57, a pedicab driver from Purok 3, Pavia Iloilo shortly before midnight on Saturday.

He was collared at Barangay Poblacion, Leganes after allegedly selling a sachet of suspected shabu for P1,000.

Members of Leganes Municipal Police Station, with operatives from 1st IPMFC and IPPO-PDEU, recovered from the suspect three sachets of suspected shabu, the P1,000 buy-bust money, and his pedicab.

The four suspects would also be charged for violation of RA 9165.